Dance Of The Dung Beetles

Author : Helen Lunn
Publisher : Wits University Press
ISBN 13 : 1776144651
Total Pages : 266 pages
Book Rating : 4.55/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Dance of the Dung Beetles written by Helen Lunn and published by Wits University Press. This book was released on 2019-04-01 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The sweeping scientific and social history of the humble dung beetle The humble and industrious dung beetle is a marvelous beast: the 6,000 species identified so far are intricately entwined with human history and scientific endeavor. These night-soil collectors of the planet have been worshipped as gods, worn as jewelry, and painted by artists. More practically, they saved Hawaii from ecological blight, and rescued Australia from plagues of flies. They fertilize soil, cleanse pastures, steer by the stars, and have a unique relationship with the African elephant (along with many other ungulates). Above all, they are the ideal subject for biological study in an evolving world. In this sweeping history of more than 3,000 years, beginning with Ancient Egypt, scientist Marcus Byrne and writer Helen Lunn capture the diversity of dung beetles and their unique behavior patterns. Dung beetles’ fortunes have followed the shifts from a world dominated by a religion that symbolically incorporated them into some of its key concepts of rebirth, to a world in which science has largely separated itself from religion and alchemy. With over 6,000 species found throughout the world, these unassuming but remarkable creatures are fundamental to some of humanity’s most cherished beliefs and have been ever present in religion, art, literature, science and the environment. They are at the center of current gene research, play an important role in keeping our planet healthy, and some nocturnal dung beetles have been found to navigate by the starry skies. Outlining the development of science from the point of view of the humble dung beetle is what makes this charming story of immense interest to general readers and entomologists alike.

Author : Helen Lunn
Publisher : Wits University Press
ISBN 13 : 1776142349
Total Pages : 266 pages
Book Rating : 4.47/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Dance of the Dung Beetles written by Helen Lunn and published by Wits University Press. This book was released on 2019-04-01 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The sweeping scientific and social history of the humble dung beetle The humble and industrious dung beetle is a marvelous beast: the 6,000 species identified so far are intricately entwined with human history and scientific endeavor. These night-soil collectors of the planet have been worshipped as gods, worn as jewelry, and painted by artists. More practically, they saved Hawaii from ecological blight, and rescued Australia from plagues of flies. They fertilize soil, cleanse pastures, steer by the stars, and have a unique relationship with the African elephant (along with many other ungulates). Above all, they are the ideal subject for biological study in an evolving world. In this sweeping history of more than 3,000 years, beginning with Ancient Egypt, scientist Marcus Byrne and writer Helen Lunn capture the diversity of dung beetles and their unique behavior patterns. Dung beetles' fortunes have followed the shifts from a world dominated by a religion that symbolically incorporated them into some of its key concepts of rebirth, to a world in which science has largely separated itself from religion and alchemy. With over 6,000 species found throughout the world, these unassuming but remarkable creatures are fundamental to some of humanity's most cherished beliefs and have been ever present in religion, art, literature, science and the environment. They are at the center of current gene research, play an important role in keeping our planet healthy, and some nocturnal dung beetles have been found to navigate by the starry skies. Outlining the development of science from the point of view of the humble dung beetle is what makes this charming story of immense interest to general readers and entomologists alike.

Author : Rod Preston-Mafham
Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 9780262161374
Total Pages : 332 pages
Book Rating : 4.70/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book The Encyclopedia of Land Invertebrate Behaviour written by Rod Preston-Mafham and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 1993 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Splendidly illustrated from nature, this encyclopedia describes with rigour and grace some of the most complex and bizarre behaviours in the animal world.

Author : Douglas J. Emlen
Publisher : Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 0805094504
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.03/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Animal Weapons written by Douglas J. Emlen and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2014-11-11 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exploration of the extreme weapons we see in the animal world—teeth, horns and claws—draws parallels to the way humans develop and employ our own weapons.

Author : David Rothenberg
Publisher : St. Martin's Press
ISBN 13 : 1250018269
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.67/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Bug Music written by David Rothenberg and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2013-04-16 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the spring of 2013 the cicadas in the Northeastern United States will yet again emerge from their seventeen-year cycle—the longest gestation period of any animal. Those who experience this great sonic invasion compare their sense of wonder to the arrival of a comet or a solar eclipse. This unending rhythmic cycle is just one unique example of how the pulse and noise of insects has taught humans the meaning of rhythm, from the whirr of a cricket's wings to this unfathomable and exact seventeen-year beat. In listening to cicadas, as well as other humming, clicking, and thrumming insects, Bug Music is the first book to consider the radical notion that we humans got our idea of rhythm, synchronization, and dance from the world of insect sounds that surrounded our species over the millions of years over which we evolved. Completing the trilogy he began with Why Birds Sing and Thousand Mile Song, David Rothenberg explores a unique part of our relationship with nature and sound—the music of insects that has provided a soundtrack for humanity throughout the history of our species. Bug Music continues Rothenberg's in-depth research and spirited writing on the relationship between human and animal music, and it follows him as he explores insect influences in classical and modern music, plays his saxophone with crickets and other insects, and confers with researchers and scientists nationwide. This engaging and thought-provoking book challenges our understanding of our place in nature and our relationship to the creatures surrounding us, and makes a passionate case for the interconnectedness of species.

Author : C. H. Scholtz
Publisher : Andersen Press (UK)
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 578 pages
Book Rating : 4.77/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Evolutionary Biology and Conservation of Dung Beetles written by C. H. Scholtz and published by Andersen Press (UK). This book was released on 2009 with total page 578 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For a relatively small group of insects, dung beetles have attracted an inordinate amount of scientific interest over the years. This started with the work of the famous French naturalist Jean-Henri Fabre about 100 years ago, but it the work of Gonzalo Halffter of Mexico, and his colleagues, who first placed dung beetles on the scientific map by the publication of two important synthetic works. The first was published in 1966 ("Natural History") and this was followed by another in 1982 ("Nesting and Breeding Behaviour"). A multi-authored book on dung beetle ecology, edited by Ilkka Hanski and Yves Cambefort, was published in 1991. These volumes are long out of print and mostly unavailable. In the 18 years since the last book was published there has been a steady stream of research published on dung beetle phylogeny, biogeography, physiological ecology and conservation, fields that were not, or barely treated in the previous books. The current work synthesises and updates most of the major elements covered in those studies, but introduces several novel sections in a phylogenetic approach to the natural history of dung beetles. The aspects covered, in five sections, are the following: evolution and ecological success of dung beetles; physiological and behavioural ecology of dung beetles; phylogeny of the Scarabaeinae; historical biogeography of the Scarabaeinae and its physical and biotic drivers; and, conservation of dung beetles. The content of the book is balanced in such a way that the information contained in it should be of interest to general entomologists, research specialists on dung beetle natural history, insects systematists, students of entomology, agricultural scientists and insect conservationists.

Author : Eric R. Eaton
Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 0691211426
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.28/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Wasps written by Eric R. Eaton and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2021-03-09 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ultimate visual journey into the beautiful and complex world of wasps Wasps are far more diverse than the familiar yellowjackets and hornets that harass picnickers and build nests under the eaves of our homes. These amazing, mostly solitary creatures thrive in nearly every habitat on Earth, and their influence on our lives is overwhelmingly beneficial. Wasps are agents of pest control in agriculture and gardens. They are subjects of study in medicine, engineering, and other important fields. Wasps pollinate flowers, engage in symbiotic relationships with other organisms, and create architectural masterpieces in the form of their nests. This richly illustrated book introduces you to some of the most spectacular members of the wasp realm, colorful in both appearance and lifestyle. From minute fairyflies to gargantuan tarantula hawks, wasps exploit almost every niche on the planet. So successful are they at survival that other organisms emulate their appearance and behavior. The sting is the least reason to respect wasps and, as you will see, no reason to loathe them, either. Written by a leading authority on these remarkable insects, Wasps reveals a world of staggering variety and endless fascination. Packed with more than 150 incredible color photos Includes a wealth of eye-popping infographics Provides comprehensive treatments of most wasp families Describes wasp species from all corners of the world Covers wasp evolution, ecology, physiology, diversity, and behavior Highlights the positive relationships wasps share with humans and the environment

Author : Denise Fleming
Publisher : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN 13 : 054753731X
Total Pages : 32 pages
Book Rating : 4.13/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Beetle Bop written by Denise Fleming and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 2007-08-01 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Illustrations and rhyming text reveal the great variety of beetles and their swirling, humming, crashing activities.

Author : Vishwas Satgar
Publisher : NYU Press
ISBN 13 : 177614208X
Total Pages : 372 pages
Book Rating : 4.88/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book The Climate Crisis written by Vishwas Satgar and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2018-02-01 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Essays that address the question: how can people and class agency change this destructive course of history? Capitalism’s addiction to fossil fuels is heating our planet at a pace and scale never before experienced. Extreme weather patterns, rising sea levels and accelerating feedback loops are a commonplace feature of our lives. The number of environmental refugees is increasing and several island states and low-lying countries are becoming vulnerable. Corporate-induced climate change has set us on an ecocidal path of species extinction. Governments and their international platforms such as the Paris Climate Agreement deliver too little, too late. Most states, including South Africa, continue on their carbon-intensive energy paths, with devastating results. Political leaders across the world are failing to provide systemic solutions to the climate crisis. This is the context in which we must ask ourselves: how can people and class agency change this destructive course of history? Volume three in the Democratic Marxism series, The Climate Crisis investigates eco-socialist alternatives that are emerging. It presents the thinking of leading climate justice activists, campaigners and social movements advancing systemic alternatives and developing bottom-up, just transitions to sustain life. Through a combination of theoretical and empirical work, the authors collectively examine the challenges and opportunities inherent in the current moment. This volume builds on the class-struggle focus of Volume 2 by placing ecological issues at the centre of democratic Marxism. Most importantly, it explores ways to renew historical socialism with democratic, eco-socialist alternatives to meet current challenges in South Africa and the world.

Author : David Barrie
Publisher : The Experiment
ISBN 13 : 1615196692
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.92/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Supernavigators written by David Barrie and published by The Experiment. This book was released on 2020-06-09 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Just astonishing . . . Our natural navigational capacities are no match for those of the supernavigators in this eye-opening book.”—Frans de Waal, The New York Times Book Review Publisher's note: Supernavigators was published in the UK under the title Incredible Journeys. Animals plainly know where they’re going, but how they know has remained a stubborn mystery—until now. Supernavigators is a globe-trotting voyage of discovery alongside astounding animals of every stripe: dung beetles that steer by the Milky Way, box jellyfish that can see above the water (with a few of their twenty-four eyes), sea turtles that sense Earth’s magnetic field, and many more. David Barrie consults animal behaviorists and Nobel Prize–winning scientists to catch us up on the cutting edge of animal intelligence—revealing these wonders in a whole new light.